Tesla Robotaxi Service in San Francisco Still Requires Human Drivers

Tesla’s long-promised robotaxi service in San Francisco has officially launched, but it isn’t fully autonomous yet. Despite Elon Musk’s bold vision of driverless rides, the first “robotaxi” vehicles arriving for customers still have a human at the wheel. Many curious riders have noticed that the service currently operates more like a traditional ridehailing app than a true self-driving experience, raising questions about when Tesla will deliver on its no-driver promise.

Tesla Robotaxi Service Faces Regulatory Hurdles

California has strict rules for autonomous vehicles, requiring three different permits before a company can operate a commercial robotaxi service without a driver. At the moment, Tesla has only secured the first permit, which allows it to offer rides with a human in the driver’s seat. In contrast, Alphabet’s Waymo has cleared all regulatory requirements, giving it a head start in San Francisco’s driverless taxi market. Until Tesla meets these requirements, its service will remain partially manual, even as it tests its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology on public roads.

How Tesla Robotaxis Compare to Competitors

In Austin, Texas, Tesla began testing rides with a safety monitor in the passenger seat, but its San Francisco launch adds another layer of human oversight with a driver behind the wheel. Meanwhile, competitors like Waymo and Cruise have already been offering fully driverless rides in select cities. For Tesla, the current phase appears to be a cautious rollout, balancing regulatory compliance with the need to demonstrate progress on its ambitious robotaxi plans.

When Will True Tesla Robotaxis Arrive?

Elon Musk has long promised that fully autonomous Teslas capable of ridehailing without any human presence will transform urban transportation. While the current San Francisco launch is a step toward that goal, Tesla still faces both regulatory and technological hurdles. Until the company secures all necessary permits and its FSD software proves reliable without human backup, riders should expect a human to stay behind the wheel. For now, Tesla’s “robotaxi” is more of a preview than the autonomous future Musk envisions.